LUAS EXTENSION TO FINGLAS: TAXPAYER'S €600M GAMBLE

LUAS EXTENSION TO FINGLAS: TAXPAYER'S €600M GAMBLE The bloated €600m extension of the LUAS to Finglas has moved one step closer to fleecing taxpayers, with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) kicking off the procurement process for the construction phase, estimated to cost a whopping €250m. This white elephant project, touted by Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien as a "game-changer" for north Dublin, will serve a handful of communities, including Charlestown and Finglas Village, with four new stops and two new bridges. But at what cost to the already beleaguered taxpayer? The project will unlock almost 10,000 new high-density housing units, putting further strain on local services and infrastructure, and cementing the government's obsession with unsustainable urban planning. With a contract duration of four years and four months, and a minimum annual turnover requirement of €100m for bidding firms, this gravy train is set to enrich corporate fat cats while leaving working-class communities to pick up the tab. The TII expects to award the contract in 2028, after a lengthy tender process, leaving hard-pressed families to wonder if this vanity project is really worth the hefty price tag, considering it will probably be 2060 by the time they open the extension. Elon Musk just unveiled flying cars, oh yeah, but we're not allowed like him, why was that again?